A giant comet is on a collision course with Earth, and it must be stopped before it destroys the planet and all of mankind. First discovered by the military, but kept under wraps to avoid a public panic, the earth-shattering cover-up is quickly exposed by the media and young astronomers alike. To avert pandemonium, rock solid U.S President Freeman (Hard Rain) quickly takes to the airwaves to both outline the situation and detail mankind's one-shot plan to stop the cataclysmic calamity - a dangerous space mission, captained by veteran shuttle pilot Duvall (Gone in 60 Seconds) to give the icy asteroid a nuclear nudge. Back on Earth, everyone's scrambling for cover, and for some, such as Wood (Lord Of The Rings) the fateful countdown is consumed by a frenetic search for separated loved ones.